How Many Sections Are in the PA Mandated Reporter Training?

The Pennsylvania mandated reporter training has nine sections. The official course, “Recognizing and Reporting Child Abuse: Mandated and Permissive Reporting in Pennsylvania,” is developed by the University of Pittsburgh’s Child Welfare Resource Center and approved by the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services under Act 31 of 2014 and Act 126 of 2012. It runs free online, carries three continuing education credits, and requires participants to answer review questions correctly at the end of each section before moving on.¹

What Each of the Nine Sections Covers

The course moves in order from background to action and then to follow-up:

Section 1, Pennsylvania’s Child Welfare System Overview, explains the state-supervised, county-administered system, the roles of the Department of Human Services and the Office of Children, Youth, and Families, the ChildLine hotline at 1-800-932-0313, and the difference between Child Protective Services and General Protective Services cases.
Section 2, Defining Child Abuse, walks through the legal definition under the Child Protective Services Law, which requires a child under 18, an act or failure to act, and a perpetrator. It covers bodily injury, serious mental injury, sexual abuse and exploitation, serious physical neglect, and human trafficking.
Section 3, Potential Indicators of Abuse, teaches participants to recognize physical and behavioral signs that may suggest a child is being abused or neglected.
Section 4, Determining Reasonable Cause to Suspect, explains the legal threshold that triggers a reporting obligation. Reporters do not need to prove abuse occurred or identify a perpetrator; reasonable cause to suspect is enough.
Section 5, The Effects of Child Abuse and Why to Report, addresses the impact abuse has on children and the rationale behind mandatory reporting.
Section 6, Reporting Child Abuse, details how to file a report through the Child Welfare Portal or by phone to ChildLine, what information to be ready to provide, and the rule that mandated reporters cannot report anonymously.
Section 7, Reporter Rights and Responsibilities, covers immunity from civil and criminal liability for good-faith reporters and the penalties for willful failure to report, which range from a second-degree misdemeanor to a second-degree felony.
Section 8, After You Report, explains how ChildLine staff assess the information and route it to the appropriate county children and youth agency or law enforcement.
Section 9, Wrap-Up, concludes the course.

Pick the Right Version Before You Start

The same nine sections are delivered in two versions, and selecting the wrong one at registration produces a certificate that will not count for your purpose. Educators and school employees who need Act 126 and Act 48 credit must take the timed version, which enforces a minimum duration to meet the Department of Education’s three-hour continuing education requirement. Everyone else, including those completing the course solely for Act 31 licensure, takes a non-timed version and can move through at their own pace. The version is chosen during registration.²

Where to Take the Course

The free online version is hosted at reportabusepa.pitt.edu. Registration asks for your legal name, date of birth, the last four digits of your Social Security number, and a license number if you have one. The course is designed for laptops or desktops; mobile devices are discouraged because of problems saving progress. Credits are submitted to the Department of State the next business day, with full processing taking about seven to ten days.³ In-person and live virtual sessions are also available at no cost through the Pennsylvania Family Support Alliance for groups of 15 to 50 participants, based on availability.⁴

1
University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Child Welfare Resource Center. Recognizing and Reporting Child Abuse: Mandated and Permissive Reporting in Pennsylvania
2
University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Child Welfare Resource Center. Mandated Reporter FAQs
3
University of Pittsburgh. Recognizing and Reporting Child Abuse Online Training
4
Pennsylvania Family Support Alliance. Mandated Reporter Training